Chapter 39: The Tragic Ma Hongjun and the Ruthlessness of Li Zhexian

"Blazing Sword Strikes the Evil Phoenix!"

The Green Lotus Sword trailed a crimson tail of flame several meters long. With extreme sharpness, amplified by scorching red fire and further augmented by the beauty of the Three Swords, this strike caught a glimpse of the White Jade Capital.

Li Zhexian swung his sword. Facing the rain of fire falling from the sky, he aimed directly at Ma Hongjun, who hovered in mid-air.

There was no earth-shattering roar. There was only a subtle, soul-trembling "hiss"—like the sharpest, white-hot blade slicing through thick, grease-soaked parchment. The Green Lotus Sword, wreathed in crimson flames, treated the torrential rain of fire as if it were nothing.

Wherever the blade passed—
Puff!
Puff!
Puff!
Each drop of fire, like a pricked bubble, failed even to burst. The moment they touched the edge of the blade, they were silently annihilated by its extreme sharpness and searing heat. The fire turned into wisps of green smoke, only to be swallowed whole by the red flames coiling around the sword.

The crimson sword light remained undiminished, piercing through the sky and locking onto Ma Hongjun. The anger and arrogance on Ma Hongjun’s face froze, and for the first time, terror flooded his eyes. He beat his phoenix fire wings frantically, attempting to climb higher and escape.

But it was too late! Li Zhexian’s sword was impossibly fast!

A flash of red light vanished!

*Squelch—*

A dull yet distinct sound of piercing echoed through the silent arena, now that the rain of fire had been extinguished. One of the phoenix fire wings, along with half an arm, was severed instantly. The wing shattered into a sky full of sparks, incinerating the blood that sprayed into the air.

"Aaaaaahhhhh—!"

Ma Hongjun plummeted onto the stage, his remaining hand clutching his severed limb. Smoke rose from the stump as the veins on his forehead bulged, and he let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Li Zhexian’s Blazing Sword, having struck down Ma Hongjun, still carried a terrifying momentum.

*Boom—!*

The Blazing Sword landed heavily on the arena floor, leaving a sword mark several feet deep and only an inch wide, its edges fused into a glass-like glaze. The mark began at Li Zhexian’s feet and tore all the way to the edge of the stage, emitting faint wisps of smoke.

Though the blade never touched the soul power barrier, the escaping shockwave of energy caused the barrier to groan under the strain. In areas where cracks had already appeared, the barrier shattered like glass, the fragments dissolving into points of light. A heatwave surged out like a bursting dam; the spectators in the front felt the scorching wind sting their skin and singe their hair. Seats were overturned, leaving the area in chaos.

After a brief commotion, everyone—from the audience to the acquaintances in the VIP boxes—could not help but hold their breath, staring at the scene frozen on the stage: the white-clad swordsman stood tall, the flames on his blade gradually fading.

Ma Hongjun was writhing on the ground, clutching his severed arm and screaming in agony. One strike. The victor was decided.

"Hongjun, surrender quickly!"

Below the stage, Zhao Wuji roared at the top of his lungs. Had he not been held back by the arena's soul masters, he would have charged onto the stage long ago. Hearing Zhao Wuji’s voice, Ma Hongjun’s pale lips trembled, and he was just about to speak when—

*Swoosh—*

A sword aura suddenly swept across, slicing away his lips and teeth. The excruciating pain nearly made Ma Hongjun faint. Seeing such a bloody scene, the crowd fell into a stupor, staring in shock at the cold, white-clad swordsman.

"Hmm?" Dugu Bo frowned. "What is this kid Zhexian trying to do?"

Dugu Yan quickly said, "Grandfather, this fat turkey has his teachers with him. You must protect Brother Zhexian."

Dugu Bo nodded. "Rest assured."

In the other two VIP boxes, Lady Ye had already ordered her staff to keep a close watch on the stage. Beside Xue Qinghe, the Pufferfish Douluo had vanished into thin air.

On the stage, Ma Hongjun’s right arm had been severed at the shoulder. Half his body was stained with blood, his chubby face was a mess of flesh, and half his gum line was exposed. He convulsed in pain. He wanted to surrender, but could only emit vague whimpers.

Under countless gazes of shock and horror, Li Zhexian walked toward Ma Hongjun step by step.

"Vicious brat!" "How dare you!"

Below the stage, Zhao Wuji could no longer restrain himself. He shoved Qin Ming aside. With a roar, his 76th-rank soul power surged violently, knocking back several of the arena's soul masters as he prepared to leap onto the stage.

*Whoosh, whoosh—*

Several figures suddenly appeared, blocking Zhao Wuji’s path. "A dispute between juniors; stay out of it."

"Get out of my way!"

Zhao Wuji threw a furious punch, but he only managed to fight one of them to a stalemate, and was himself sent stumbling backward. Dugu Bo and the Pufferfish Douluo, watching from the shadows, withdrew their gathered soul power.

"You..." Zhao Wuji glared at the white-clad swordsman on the stage, his tiger eyes bloodshot as he roared, "Brat! If you dare to harm Ma Hongjun even a fraction more, I swear I will make you wish you were dead!"

On the stage, Li Zhexian ignored Zhao Wuji’s threat. He reached Ma Hongjun and looked down at the pathetic figure in the pool of blood. Ma Hongjun had only terror left in his eyes, dragging his broken body across the floor in a desperate attempt to crawl away from the executioner.

"A beast like you, riddled with evil fire. Only by making you suffer worse than death can I make up for some of the evil you have wrought."

The girls Ma Hongjun had used to vent his evil fire were all innocent commoners. According to Yu Xiaogang and Flender, they had "voluntarily" chosen to be with Ma Hongjun, even dating like normal couples.

*Heh...*

In a fantasy world where strength reigns supreme, how could commoners truly have a choice when facing a soul master? How could they dare to follow their hearts? Ma Hongjun possessed the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, a top-tier beast spirit. How could a common girl without cultivation bear his ravages? The reality was crueler than the legends. One could imagine their suffering and their ends.

"This had nothing to do with me originally. But since you’ve provoked me, I must intervene. I only seek to be true to my sword, my heart, and my conscience."

Li Zhexian formed a sword gesture with his fingers. A chilling sword aura swept across toward Ma Hongjun’s lower vitals. "A debt of sin must be repaid with the root of that sin. Since you cannot control your evil fire, I shall sever it today."

"Aaaaaahhhhh—!"

Ma Hongjun threw his head back and wailed, the veins in his neck twisting like earthworms, his eyes bloodshot with web-like patterns.

"Hongjun!" "You damn brat!"

Zhao Wuji’s eyes were bloodshot with rage; he tried to charge again but was blocked by the Ye family guards.

Li Zhexian didn't even glance at Zhao Wuji. He seemed not to hear the deafening roars of the audience either. Under countless gazes of fanatical worship, he walked off the stage, step by step.

As he passed through the backstage corridor, he paused, his gaze sweeping inadvertently toward a shadow in the corner. There, a hunched figure in a green robe was trembling with excitement, frantically recording something onto a wooden board with a charcoal pencil.

A golden light flashed between his fingers. A gold coin flew through the air with a faint whistle, embedding itself precisely into the storyteller’s collar.

"You had better praise me well tomorrow."

The storyteller looked up abruptly, only to see a white-clad back disappearing at the end of the corridor.

"Today’s grand occasion shall be known throughout the Heaven Dou Empire by tomorrow!"

The storyteller excitedly tucked away the gold coin and his tablet, quickly disappearing into the crowd.